Paragorgia kaupeka, JUAN ARMANDO SÁNCHEZ, 2005

JUAN ARMANDO SÁNCHEZ, 2005, Systematics of the bubblegum corals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Paragorgiidae) with description of new species from New Zealand and the Eastern Pacific, Zootaxa 1014, pp. 1-72 : 37-41

Paragorgia kaupeka sp. nov.

( Figs. 22–25 )

Material examined. Holotype: NIWA 3318, H­843, J204, Z10061 , 37° 02.8’S – 176° 29.8’E, “No name knoll”, 949 m, 27 March 2000 (col. D. Wrightson, FV Ocean Fresh 1337/12, bottom trawl).

Paratypes: NIWA 3319, P­1400, J205, Z10061 ­dry, same as holotype; NIWA 3320, P­ 1401, J215, X152, 36° 09.74’S – 176° 48.38’E, “Colville knolls”, 820–940 m, 28 November 1989 (RV Rapuhia 2032, rock dredge); NIWA 3321, P­1402, J207, Z9229, 36° 53.8’S – 177° 22.3’E, “Otara Knoll” 787 m, 15 August 1998 (col. J. Wills, FV Margret Phillipa 1124/65, bottom trawl).

Diagnostic characters. Surface cortex, including autozooid aperture, with small, rounded, radiate sclerites less than 0.05 mm in length, averaging 0.04 mm, 1.65–1.7 times longer than wide, losing the radiate symmetrical form by enlarging most radial ornaments: surface irregular and uneven ( Figs. 24 C–D, 25D–F).

Description. Branching colonies, pseudo­dichotomous, uniplanar, up to 40 cm in height (holotype 30 cm: Fig. 22 ). Slim terminal branches 4–6 mm in diameter ( Figs. 22– 23 ). Autozooids usually clustered in groups of 2–7 polyps, towards one face of the colony, as alternately distributed hemispheric nodules on the branches ( Figs. 22–23 ). Surface cortex with numerous tiny granular siphonozooid apertures present on both sides of the colony. Colonies pale red in alcohol and pink when dried, medulla predominately white. Autozooid polyps often retracted but occasionally extended in preserved samples exhibiting pale yellow tentacles. Medulla in the terminal branches perforated by 4–6 main canals and usually including red sclerites. Subsurface exhibiting 18–22 clearly discernable canals around the medulla. Tentacles with common Paragorgia sclerites: ornate blunt ovals up to 0.1 mm in length, usually with cone­like prominences and a smooth waist ( Figs. 24 A–B, 25A–B), and with occasional twinned forms producing crosses ( Fig. 25 C). Surface of the cortex, including autozooid aperture, with small, radiate sclerites less than 0.05 mm in length averaging 0.04 mm (0.0028 SD, n=10, NIWA 3319; 0.0038 SD, n=10, NIWA 3318) ( Figs. 24 C–D; 25D–F). Surface radiates between 1.65–1.7 times longer than wide, averaging 0.02 mm in width (0.0028 SD, n=10, NIWA 3319; 0.0035 SD, n=10, NIWA 3318). They show a loss of the radial symmetry by an asymmetrical enlargement of most radial ornaments ( Figs. 24 C–D; 25D–F); the uneven and irregular form and contours of the enlarged radial ornaments include considerably larger amounts of calcite than shorter ray ornaments. Subsurface sclerites include the same radiates as the surface with the occasional presence of larger forms with similar shapes and short, smooth but ornate, spindles up to 0.25 mm. Medulla with long, slim, mostly straight but occasionally bent, ornate, spindles less than 0.4 mm in length usually up to 0.35 mm ( Figs. 24 E, 25G).

Morphological variation. Owing to the irregular ornamentation of the diagnostic cortex surface sclerites, there was quite a lot of individuality in the form of the radiates among and within specimens (e.g., Figs. 24 C–D, 25D–F).

Distribution. North of the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, between 36°09’– 37°2.8’S and 176°29.8’– 177°22.3’E, in an area rich in seamounts and underwater volcanoes ( Fig. 2 ), 747–949 m depth.

Species comparisons. P. kaupeka sp. nov. colonies resemble those of P. j o h n s o n i (Grasshoff, 1979), particularly in the branching pattern and the autozooid clusters arranged towards one side. However, Caribbean samples of P. johnsoni (= P. boschmai ) in terminal branches are definitely thinner (up to 3 mm in diameter: Bayer, 1964) than P. kaupeka (4– 6 mm). P. johnsoni has most of the radiates regularly ornate and smoother (Grasshoff, 1979: Fig. 5 ) than P. kaupeka .

Etymology. The species is named after the Maori word kaupeka , meaning “branch” of a tree, alluding to the branching nature of these octocorals.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Map of New Zealand and overall underwater landscape showing the locations and distribution of Paragorgiidae species.

FIGURE 5. Cladogram of Paragorgiidae species using morphological characters corresponding to two of the partially resolved most parsimonious trees (A – B); Adams consensus tree (C) and strict consensus (D). Hash marks are mapped characters / states (above / below respectively) from Table 1 and discontinuous states only (open bars) correspond to homoplasy.

FIGURE 22. Paragorgia kaupeka sp. nov., holotype (NIWA 3318): A, entire specimen; B, side of branches with autozooids; C, opposed side without autozooids; calliper open at 20 mm.

FIGURE 23. Paragorgia kaupeka sp. nov., paratype (NIWA 3319): A, entire specimen; B, side of branches without autozooids; C, opposed side with autozooids; calliper open at 20 mm.

FIGURE 24. Paragorgia kaupeka sp. nov., holotype (NIWA 3318): A, stereo pair of a sclerite from the polyps (scale 10 m); B, additional sclerites from the polyps (scales 10 m); C – D, radiate sclerites (C is a stereo pair) from the colony surface (scales 10 m); E, sclerites from the colony medulla (scales 100 m).

FIGURE 25. Paragorgia kaupeka sp. nov., paratype (NIWA 3321): A – C, stereo pairs of the sclerites from the polyps (scale 10 m); D – F, radiate sclerites (stereo pairs) from the colony surface (scales 10 m); G, sclerites from the colony medulla (scales 100 m).